A great definition for attitude is “the way you look at life, and the way it looks back at you.” The best way to explain this is for me to share the true stories of two men whose attitudes were 180° apart.
The first fellow worked for a Russian railroad and accidentally locked himself in a refrigerated boxcar. He was unable to get the attention of his co-workers in order to escape. Soon he just gave up and decided he would die there. He began to write his thoughts on the boxcar wall that entrapped him, scribbling that it was terribly cold. He stated that he was having trouble breathing, and that these would probably be his last words before he died.
Within a few hours he expired as he predicted. The weird part was there was no medical reason for his demise. The refrigeration mechanism was not even working, and the boxcar had plenty of ventilation, so he certainly didn’t suffocate. He couldn’t have died from hunger or thirst, since his body was discovered the very next morning. He was apparently simply a victim of his own negative thoughts.
The other fellow made medical history in Romania. He survived eleven days without food or water, after an earthquake buried him under an annihilated ten story apartment building.
Following his rescue from the rubble, people asked how he managed to survive. He slept a lot, but told himself he would get out alive, when he was awake. He believed the rescuers would find him alive, and he was correct.
Until hearing these two vignettes, did you consider that attitude could determine life and death?
Positive attitudes lead to good health and reduced stress, according to many psychologists. That’s beneficial because statistics say we get bombarded with eighteen negative statements for every positive one that comes our way. As weighty as attitude is in everyday life, it is also one of the determining factors for success in your sales career. You are known by your attitude and will always be remembered for it. It is more important than your skill sets, work ethic, and values.
Positive salespeople, those with healthy attitudes, generally outsell their negative counterparts. Negative reps sell less and are poorly connected to customers and fellow workers.
One of the key elements of a positive attitude is optimism, because it enables you to make an attempt when there’s no convincing reason to expect success. Like our friend buried under the rubble, optimism seems to inject a dose of renewed energy that even banishes fear. But all too often salespeople are notorious for being fearful of things that might happen. They fail to realize that the things they fear the most almost never occur.
Optimists just push on through, remembering that the word fear is an acronym for; False Expectations Appearing Real. Additionally, in the Bible the word fear not appears over 100 times. That should help nudge your attitude in the right direction!
Sadly, on the other hand, fear stops pessimists. It encourages them to throw wet blankets of negativity over the atmosphere in sales rooms everywhere. They offer up sniping comments such as:
“Without knowing for sure whether they have good credit, you think I’m driving all the way out there?”
“It’s gotten so bad that every two hours he texts me to see if I’ve sold something.”
“Is she crazy? She should know people don’t have extra money for buying right now.”
By comparing the two, it’s easy to understand that the optimists are out in the field selling, while the pessimists are hanging around the office whining and complaining.
Here’s one final comparison. Following a sizable snowfall a few winters ago, I snapped the photo you see on the left of a mountain home we owned at the time. I showed the picture to an acquaintance who said, “That’s beautiful; you should use that photo as your Christmas card.” Later I showed it to another person and her response was, “I get the shivers just looking at that picture. Whatever made you want to buy a house in a remote place like that?” Perception is reality after all, isn’t it?
Remember that every moment of every day you are the one who decides how you feel, think, and act. It is your own personal choice and one of the few things you have total control over in life. Make sure you choose to feel terrific about who you are and embrace your capabilities. Make a conscious decision to attain and maintain an attitude that attracts success, because attitude IS everything!
————Doug’s Giddy About Gaddy————
As you journey thru life there are rare opportunities to encounter and interact with individuals that really make a significant impact on your profession. They also alter your view of integrity and class. Doug Robinson is that individual that I’ve been fortunate enough to meet. It’s fair to say that being coached by him has made me even more polished than before. His vast knowledge of business techniques and strategies makes him a diamond at teaching high level performance. He is not only an awesome teacher and coach, but I’m happy to call him friend. You should meet him too…HERE. Michael Gaddy, Sales Consultant Tuscaloosa, AL.
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©2019 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC
